General Information
The information in this blog entry is generally based on SAP Solution Manager 7.1 SP10. Different versions of SAP Solution Manager may vary in specific steps in the SOLMAN_SETUP transaction.
SOLMAN_SETUP was introduced to SAP Solution Manager with version 7.0 Enhancement Pack 1 (commonly referred to as SAP Solution Manager 7.01 or SAP Solution manager 7.0 SP18) to automate the configuration of the SAP Solution Manager system to a unified baseline. This baseline generally covers the basic Root Cause Analysis (RCA) scenario.
Depending on the support stack level of the SAP Solution Manager system, the available views in SOLMAN_SETUP may differ, but the main components that make up the baseline configuration (System Preparation, Basic Configuration and Managed System Configuration) are present in all versions.
The following screen is based on a 7.1 SP10 system:
The overview screen is very useful, as it highlights any activity that is part of the System Preparation or Basic Configuration scenarios but which does not have a completed (=green) rating.
It is generally recommended to check the overview regularly, as the step concerning the implementation of the SAP Solution Manager central note (System Preparation -> 4 – Implement SAP Note) may need to be updated with the latest version of the Central Note. The system regularly checks with the SAP backbone for the latest version of the Central Note and compares this to the version registered in the Solution Manager system (transaction SNOTE). If the versions do not match, the activity check is re-rated yellow, and this will be then visible in the SOLMAN_SETUP Overview.
What is required for the baseline system configuration?
Due to the interaction of the SAP Solution Manager system with the SAP backbone, the RFC connection SAPOSS must be established and working properly. This can be tested in transaction SM59:
and adjusted if necessary in transaction OSS1:
What SAP assistance is available for SOLMAN_SETUP?
SAP provides two main forms of interactive assistance for SOLMAN_SETUP.
The first is the interactive Expert Guided Implementation (EGI) Training. It is delivered as a 5-day empowering session, with an SAP expert providing guidance and demonstration in the mornings, followed by application of the lesson by the attendee on their own systems afterwards.
https://service.sap.com/~sapidb/011000358700001779602008E/EGI-IntroPage-2011-3-7.htm
The second is the Solution manager Starter Pack service (SMSP). This is a 5-day SAP service, which can be delivered either onsite or remotely, and includes configuration of the Solution Manager system as well as up to 3 managed systems.
https://websmp105.sap-ag.de/~sapdownload/011000358700000806252007E
What is the sequence of steps required for the baseline configuration of the SAP Solution Manager system?
System preparation:
Basic Configuration:
Managed System Configuration (Dual stack scenario example):
Technical Specifics
Where is the most time lost during the SOLMAN_SETUP configuration of the SAP Solution Manager system?
This section deals with some of the more time-intensive situations that I have come across in my experience setting up SAP Solution Manager systems.
Once again, these instances are specifically based on SAP Solution Manager 7.1 SP10, but while some details may vary, they have been observed in other versions.
Parameters/Prerequisites
The basic configuration of the SAP Solution Manager system is dependent on various prerequisites, which are listed in the following SAP Notes:
SAP Note 1483508 Solution Manager 7.1: Root Cause Analysis pre-requisites
SAP Note 1478974 Diagnostics in SAP Solution Manager 7.1
SAP Note 1843689 Solution Manager 7.1 SP Stack 10: recommended corrections
(see SAP Note 1595736 for older Support Package Stacks)
SAP Note 1582842 Profile parameters for Solution Manager 7.1
SAP Note 1701770 LMDB CIM Model and CR Content prerequisite
The Parameters are checked as part of SOLMAN_SETUP System preparation step 2 – Check Installation.
If the parameters do not match the list, they will need to be adjusted before proceeding.
In the case of SAP Note 1843689 – Solution Manager SP Stack 10: recommended corrections, patches for certain Java stack components are required, which are designed to fix known issues with the configuration procedures.
Similarly, the managed system will need to meet certain software requirements, as listed in SAP Note 1483508 - Solution Manager 7.1: Root Cause Analysis pre-requisites. Without these prerequisite in place, some of the automated managed system configuration items may not succeed.
SLD infrastructure
Prior to the introduction of the LMDB in SAP Solution Manager 7.1, it was essential to have a single, central SLD connected to Solution Manager. Therefore, if the customer's system landscape did not contain at least one functional SLD, a fallback was needed. To that end, a local SLD was included in the SAP Solution Manager stack, to act as this fallback SLD.
Likewise, if there were multiple functional SLDs present, one SLD would need to act as a central, or consolidation, SLD. If this was not possible with the existing SLDs, the Solution Manager local SLD could fill that role.
With the advent of the LMDB in SAP Solution Manager 7.1, and the new ability to connect multiple SLDs to the LMDB at the same time, this requirement is no longer in effect. The local SLD is still available as a fallback option, but in case of multiple functional SLDs, the general recommendation is to connect them to the Solution Manager system directly.
Sample SLD infrastructure:
LMDB initial Synchronization
Introduced with SAP Solution Manager 7.1, the LMDB represents the new central system data repository, gradually replacing SMSY as the basis for Solution Manager functionality.
The SLD – LMDB synchronization is set up in the System Preparation step 6.2 – Set Up LMDB:
First, the LMDB Object Server will need to be configured (1), then the synchronization connection can be established (2).
Once the LMDB – SLD connection has been established and initial synchronization started, you will see the status in process:
Note: The process will take several hours. Please refer to SAP Notes 1555955, 1594654 and 1669645 for information regarding the performance during SLD content synchronization.
You can follow the progress of this process by monitoring the corresponding background job in SM37. (job SAP_LMDB_LDB*)
Note that the synchronization job does not necessarily stop on errors. Instead, if this job encounters an error situation, it does not stop it just resets the worklist of synchronization items. While the program is ‘intelligent’ enough to realize that the first items (up to the point of failure) have already been synchronized and need not be again, checking these items again still takes time. Once the initial point of failure is once again reached (the batch of synchronization items for which the program timed out initially), the likelihood is high that another timeout will occur at the same point, creating an endless loop.
Therefore, periodic checks of the job log especially of long running initial synchronization jobs are highly recommended. Likewise, periodic checks with transaction ST22 for related system dumps can lead to early detection of errors.
Individual steps of this job are governed by the already mentioned parameters (icm/conn_timeout and icm/keep_alive_timeout), which can cause the longer steps to time out (errors ICM_HTTP_TIMEOUT in ST22), resetting the job. Thus, it is imperative that these parameters are increased from the default to accommodate the processing time. I have found that especially the default value for icm/keep_alive_timeout of 60 seconds is not enough, and should be increased to at least 300 (seconds).
BW System Setup
Since the introduction of Solution Manager Diagnostics (SMD, sometimes also called Root Cause Analysis or RCA) to SAP Solution Manager in 3.2, SAP Solution Manager has contained a BW system to handle the bulk of the RCA data. This BW system has in the past required a lot of manual configuration. With the advent of SOLMAN_SETUP, however, much of the setup has been automated. Still, there are certain caveats that one must consider when configuring the SAP Solution Manager system. Knowing the various pitfalls of the BW system configuration can save significant amounts of time of troubleshooting the system.
First, there are the various BW system options available:
- BW in the productive SAP Solution Manager client
In this scenario BW is used in the same productive client as SAP Solution Manager. This option allows simpler configuration and isolates the BW activities conducted for solution life cycle management from the data on a production BW instance. This is SAP’s recommendation.
- BW in a separate client in SAP Solution Manager system
In this scenario BW activities are conducted in a separate client on the SAP Solution Manager system. This scenario provides increased security, as user access is more restricted. However, you must maintain users separately and this increases your administration effort. There is no technical benefit. - BW in a separate, non-productive BW system
In this scenario, the BW activities are conducted in a separate, non-productive BW system in the landscape. Data is sent to this system from the SAP Solution Manager system via RFC. This is only needed in rare cases for sizing purposes.
Note: Use of a separate, productive BW system is not recommended.
Selection of the BW scenario to be used is made in Basic Configuration step 2.1 – Specify SAP BW System:
With setup credentials provided as part of step 2.2 – Set up Credentials:
The BW Administrator section will be active if the second BW system option (BW in different client/system) is selected.
Actual configuration of the BW system is completed in the Basic Configuration section 5 – Configure Automatically:
Note that the following activities must be executed manually, before continuing with the automatic configuration steps (see SAP Note 979581 for details):
- Activate BW source system
- Adjust BW authorization concept (if listed)
The BW system is activated via the background job BI_TCO_ACTIVATION, which must be completed before proceeding.
Note that the Activity log in Solman_Setup for this activity does not track job completion, only successful launch of the job.
After the background job BI_TCO_ACTIVATION finishes, check the BW Activation Status in transaction RSTCO_ADMIN. If you get a red rating press Start Installation Button again:
Once the BW Source system has been fully activated, the remaining activities can be performed automatically by selecting the Execute All button:
Note: Full execution of the automatic activities may take multiple hours.
Note: Multiple instances of the CCMS_BI_SETUP job (such as with the activity Activate BW Content for RCA) may cause warnings and require manual subsequent executions of these failed activities. This is due to the fact that, as with the BI_TCO_ACTIVATION job activity, SOLMAN_SETUP only verifies that the background job was successfully launched. It does not wait for completion of that job.
Thus, when subsequent activities attempt to start another instance of the CCMS_BI_SETUP job with different scenario variants (i.e. setting up different portions of the BW system), any still running copies of CCMS_BI_SETUP will prevent new iterations and a warning will occur.
Hopefully, this blog post has provided some information on how to prevent, detect and/or remedy some of the more egregious time-wasting situations in the baseline configuration of the SAP Solution Manager system.
- SAP Managed Tags:
1 Comment
